Non-invasive colorimetric measurement of ethylene release for in-orchard evaluation of apple readiness for harvest
Author: Robert Klein, PhD, Mark Riley, PhD
Published: 2004
Summary: The goal of this research program is to develop a simple and inexpensive means to evaluate ethylene release from apples pre- and post-harvest. Specifically, the proposed device is a flat, inexpensive, micro-thin permeable membrane sandwich in the form of a patch or “sticker” that selfadheres to the surface of the apple. The patch detects the emissions of ethylene from an individual apple (rather than the atmosphere around many apples) and consequently displays a color change indicating ripeness on the visual (external) surface of the detector. Ethylene is a demonstrated fruit ripeness indicator and its release correlates with the onset of readiness for harvest.
